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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
11-30-2018, 10:24 AM
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I wouldn't worry about it being an old camera, it's main limitations (compared to a Z) are:
High ISO: not really an issue as Rick points out.
LiveView/Focus peeking: I've never used either.
1 fps shooting/slow card writes: not an issue for me.
No flippy screen (makes a handy WLF): I've bought a Refconverter (and used it once).
No video: I don't care for it.
Maybe in it's favour (YMMV) it has a CCD, the output of which many people spend a lot of time trying to recreate from CMOS sensors.
Some of the above might be limitations for some uses but not for careful composition and landscapes (where it's about 90% as capable as the Z for half the cost).
In the UK there aren't many used D/Zs about, it's about finding one at the right price/place/time. In my case that was a D with a one year warranty, but it could easily be that Zs start to become available for not much more than current D prices. When I bought mine, a used Z was £1000 more than the D I bought - that's a hefty premium, putting it definitely the wrong side of the 'justifiable' line.
Having bought the D, I wished I'd bitten the bullet long ago and bought the last of the discounted new ones with the 55mm lens bundle when they were being sold off after the Z was released. I did think about it at the time...
John.
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Forum: Pentax Medium Format
11-29-2018, 04:47 PM
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My experience may be helpful, I have a P6x7 outfit with a few lenses and the 645 adapter (I had already envisioned renting a 645Z at some point - the practicalities of renting the gear with a 100% credit card deposit as an amateur ended that idea!). I've shot loads of roll film in the past in 645, 6x6 & 6x7 formats, not necessarily tripod mounted but I'm comfortable with slow film and slow working. Six months ago I bought a mid-milage 645D for similar money to a K-1ii from a very good Pentax specialist dealer with a year warranty. I've never shot video, used LiveView or high ISO on my K-5, the 'limitations' of the 645D are not significant to me (I did buy a right-angled viewfinder attachment for 'waist level' shooting due to not having a flippy screen - it works well).
I shoot it like an MF film camera - slowly concentrating on the images, rarely shooting more than a dozen frames in a session. The form-factor of the camera is so close to a typical MF camera, it encourages me to shoot it the same way. All of the P6x7 lenses I've tried have produced good or better results (I'm not worried about scientific levels of sharpness, the larger format is far more important). The limitations being wide-angle focal lengths - the P6x7 45mm is good but only equivalent to around 35mm (FF). Since buying the 645D I've also bought 33-55 & 45-85 645 AF zooms and prefer these to P6x7 lenses for the convenience of them having a native mount. The 33-55 has some negatives according to the reviews, but it's the only wide-angle I can justify and I needed the extra width - in practise, it works well for my needs.
Although I still shoot MF film, getting high quality scans is expensive and considerable hassle (I need a better scanner and computer), the output from the 645D obviously eliminates this. Print wise, I've been experimenting with lab produced A2 prints (the largest the 645D will go at 300dpi) and there's easily enough detail in them for me.
Since buying it I've also bought an original K-1, but my preference will always be the 645D when I want to get serious. Medium format digital always seemed way out of my reach and totally un-justiable - a used 645D (and some P6x7 lenses + adapter) suddenly made it do-able. Having accessories common to my other Pentax cameras (batteries, chargers, flashguns, IR remote controls) really help reduce the overall cost when considering it as a 'system'. It's perfectly feasible to carry only P6x7 lenses, the adapter and both 645D & P6x7 bodies to give the best of both worlds, a 645/N(ii) would work similarly with native 645 glass.
I'm very happy with my choice and the results it gives.
John.
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